Car-coupling



Patented Sept. 27, I898.

w. n. EARL.

CAB COUPLING.

[Application filed Aprv 1, 1898.

(No Model.)

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NrrED TATES WILLIAM D. EARL, OF ALBANY, NEV YORK.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 611,315, dated September 27, 1898.

I Application filed April 1, 1898. Serial No. 676,106. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I,WILLIAM D. EARL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Albany, in the county of Albany and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Car-Coupling, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in car-couplings.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of car-couplings and increase their strength and durability and to provide a simple and comparatively inexpensive one which may be readily applied to any ordinary car without necessitating any alteration in the construction of the same.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a oar-coupling constructed in accordance with this invention and shown applied to a car. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view. Fig. 4: is a transverse sectional View on line 4: 4. of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the stop-plate. Fig. 6 is a detail view, partly in section, illustrating the construction of the supports for the draw-plate. Fig. 7 is a detail View of the pivoted catch. Fig. 8 is a rear elevation of the shank of the draw-head, the draft-rod being in section. Fig. 9 is a detail view of a portion of the shank of the draw-head illustrating the construction of the removable plate. Fig. 10 is a detail sectional view of the draw-head.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

1 designates a draw-head of the Janney type enlarged to secure greater strengthand having a knuckle 2, pivoted to it at one side by a knuckle-pin 3. The arm of the knuckle is engaged when the knuckle is closed by a pivoted catch 4, mounted on a transverse pin 5 and depending therefrom. The catch is rigid with the pin 5, which is provided at one end with an arm 6, and is connected by an L- shaped link-rod 7 with a rock-shaft 8. The

arm of the knuckle is beveled and is adapted, when the knuckle closes, to swing the catch upward and'pass the same, and it is provided adjacent to the catch with a shoulder 9. One end of the catch is provided with a lug 10, arranged in an-L-shaped recess 10 of one side wall of the draw-head and adapted to engage the upper wall of such recess to limit the upward swing of the catch.

The rock-shaft 8, which is j ournaled in suitable bearings 11 of the top of the draw-head, is provided with an arm, which is connected with the upper portion of the L-shaped linkrod 7. The shank 12 of the draw-head is enlarged and rectangular in cross-section, and it forms a housing for the springs of the draftrigging. The rear end of the shank is open for the passage of a draft rod or bolt 13, which passes through a perforation of a stop-plate 14, and which is provided at its front end with a rectangular head 15, fitting snugly within the shank of the draw-head and located normally at about the center of the same.

The stop-plate 14. is provided with a perforation to receive the draft-rod, and it is located in advance of vertical ribs 16, forming shoulders and arranged on the inner faces of the sides of the shank of the draw-head at the rear ends of said sides. The side edges of the stop-plate are provided with vertical recesses 17 for the reception of bolts 18 or other suitable fastening devices, which pass through the bottom of the shank and through a removable top plate 19. The bolts 18, which are provided at their lower ends with heads, have theirupper ends threaded for the reception of nuts and serve to retain the stop-plate against the shoulders formed by the vertical ribs 16. The stop-plate is furvther supported by upper and lower tongues 19 and 19*, which fit in corresponding slots of the top and bottom of the shank of the draw-head, as clearly shown in Fig. 4 of the accompanying drawings.

The top of the shank of the draw-head consists of a rigid or stationary front portion 20 and a removable plate 19, which has its front edge beveled to fit a corresponding bevel of the front portion 20, and it is secured in place by the bolts 18. The removable plate is recessed at its rear end at 21 to receive lugs 22, which project upward from the sides of the shank.

The head 15 of the draw-rod engages front and rear coiled springs 23 and 25 and 24 and 24, the rear springs 24. and 2n being disposed on the draw-rod. The springs 23 and 24, which are heavier than the other springs, are preferably constructed of flat metal, as shown, and the other springs 23 and 24:, which are lighter than the springs 23 and 24, are arranged within the same and may be constructed of round metal; but the form and size of the springs may be varied to obtain the desired strength.

The rear portion 25 of the draw-rod is threaded and receives an adjusting nut or sleeve 25, which is located in advance of a draw-plate 26, and the latter is engaged by a draw nut or sleeve 27, mounted on the rear portion of the draft-rod at the back of the draw-plate. The sleeve or nut 25, which is provided with a clamping-screw 28, is capable of ready adjustment to take up any slack of the parts, and the draw nut or sleeve 27 is provided with a clamping-screw 29 to retain it at any desired adjustment.

The draw-plate, which is disposed transversely of the draft-rod, has its side edges fitting in sockets 30 of supports 31, which are mounted on the inner faces of the adjacent draft-timbers by bolts or other suitable fastening devices. Each support, which is enlarged at the center around the socket, consists of'a pair of plates provided at the top and bottom of the socket with oppositelydisposed lugs 32, fitting in corresponding recesses, and the supports are provided at opposite sides of the sockets with vertical perforations receiving vertical bolts 33, which securely connect the plates composing the supports. The supports, which are boltod to the draft-timbers, may be readily applied to the same, and they enable the car-coupling to be quickly mounted on a car without necessitating any change in the construction thereof.

The invention has the following advantages: The draw-head and other parts of the car-coupling, which are simple and compara tively inexpensive in construction, possess great strength and durability and are adapted to be quickly mounted upon a car and may be readily removed therefrom. The top of the car-coupling is closed and excludes moisture from its interior, so that there is no liability of the device becoming frozen and inoperative. The cushioning springs of the draft mechanism are housed within the shank of the draw-head, and the parts may be read ily adjusted to take up any slack.

Changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

What is claimed is- 1. In a car-coupling, the combination with a draw-head provided in one of its side walls with an L-shaped recess 10, and a swinging catch mounted within the draw-head and provided at one side with a lug 10 arranged in the L-shaped recess 10 of the draw-head and limiting the upward swing of the catch, substantially as described.

2. In a car-coupling, the combination of a draw-head provided with a hollow shank forming a casing, a draft-rod extending into the same, cushioning-springs housed within the shank and connected with the draft-rod, a draw-plate arranged on the draft-rod,means for connecting the draft-rod with the drawplate, and supports designed to be secured to the draft-timbers of a car, and provided with sockets receiving the draw-plate, substantially as described.

3. In a car-coupling, the combination of a draw-head having a hollow shank forming a casing, a draft-rod extending into the same, a cushioning-spring housed within the shank and connected with the draft-rod, supports designed to be secured to the draft-timbers of a car and provided with sockets, a draw-plate arranged in the sockets and provided with a perforation receiving the draft-rod, and nuts mounted on the draft-rod in advance and in rear of the draw-plates, substantially as described.

4. In a carcoupling, the combination of a draw-head having a hollow shank forming a casing and provided at the top and bottom of the shank with transverse slots, ribs arranged on the inner faces of the sides of the shank, a stop-plate fitting against the ribs, provided at its side edges with recesses and having upper and lower tongues fitting in said slots, fastening devices passing through the shank and arranged in the said recesses, a draft-rod passing through the stop-plate, and a cushioning-spring disposed on the draft-rod and bearing against the stop-plate, substantially as described.

5. In a car-coupling, the combination of a draw-head, a hollow shank provided with a removable top plate and having upwardly-extending lugs fitting in recesses of the top plate to support the same, a vertical stop extending transversely of the shank, ribs supporting the stop-plate, a draft-rod extending through the stop-plate and provided with a head, and springs housed within the shank and arranged in advance and in rear of the head, substantially as described.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination with a draft-rod, and a drawplate, of supports provided with recesses or sockets receiving the draw-plate, said supports being composed of a pair of plates pro vided at the top and bottom of the recess or socket with oppositely-disposed lugs fitting in corresponding recesses and secured to the adjacent parts by fastening devices, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM D. EARL.

Witnesses:

MARK S. LEAVY, JOHN 0. SMITH. 

